Calling device.



H. P. CLAUSEN.

CALLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I3. 1916.

Patented Apr. 80, 1918.

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HENRY JP. CLAUSE-N, OF MOUNT VERNON, N EW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 015 N YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CALLING DEVICE.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Pa tnentaeifll Apr. 30, ll llfi.

Application filed October 13, 1916. Serial No. 125,396.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY P. CLAUsEN a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Calling Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relatesto improvements in calling devices, and more particularly to imout impulses corresponding to the digit for which the device is operated. The rate at which the manually operable member returns tonormal governs the rate at which the signaling impulses are sent, and for the successful operation of the central station apparatus this rate should not be altered by the subscriber. It sometimes happens, however, that normal operation of, the calling device is interfered with by "the subscribers forcing the manually operable member 1n its movement backward to its normal position, instead of allowing it to return at its natural rate. This is particularly liable to occur when the desired number has two successive digits which are the same; because plete return of the manually operable member to its normal position is. prevented by the subscribers placing his finger in engagement with a finger-hold before the manually operable member has completed its'return movement. v

The object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedcalling device in which the return movement of the manually operable member cannot be hastened;

and in which means is provided for'deterring the subscriber from actuating the manually operable member a second time until the return movement resulting from @IiI'BVlOIlS actuation'has been completed.

11 general, a calling device embodying the present invention is characterized by a connection between the manually operable member andthe shaft driven thereby which permits lost motion'of the former with ref-- erence to the latter in the direction opposite to the direction of operating movement of the former; and is also characterized by means for hiding the symbols corresponding to the finger-holds while the manually operable member is in an ofi-normal position.

These features may of course beused' either together or separately.

The present invention is applicable to calling devices of many types, and is not to be considered as limited in its application to a calling device of the type'hereinafter described, since this type is selected merely for the purpose of illustration. In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of a calling device having the present inventlon embodied therein, certain parts being broken away; Fig. 2. is -a side elevation thereof, some parts being broken away and some shown in cross section; and Fig. 3' is a plan view of said calling device showing the manually operable member in an olfnormal position and the symbols hidden.

Referring to the drawing, the interior mechanism of the callin device is inclosed' W1th1n the casing i. s thls mechanism forms no part of the present invention, it

need not be described further than to say that it is operated by the shaft 5 which projects from-said casing. Rotatably mounted upon the end of the shaft 5 beneath the head 6is the manually operable member 7.

The manually operable member 7. is provided with a plurality of finger-holds in the form-of holes. Symbols carried on a suitable member or upon top of the casing 4 are arranged to cooperate with said fingerholds in a well-known manner. nection between the manually operable member 7 and the shaft 5 permits lost motion of the former with reference to the latter in the direction opposite to the direction of operating movement of the former. This connection comprises a slotted member 10 mounted on and rigidly secured to the shaft The con- 5. The slot in the member 10 is concentric a with the shaft 5, and the pin l 1,extending from the back of the member 7, projects 60 movement of the pin 11 in the slot of the into said slot. This pin and slot connection between the member 7 and the shaft permits relative angular movement of these elements; but a spring 21 of the form shown,

5 secured at one end to the slotted member 10 and at the other end to the pin 11 tends to hold these parts in the relative position shown in Fig. 1. Above the symbols is a movable plate 12 having openings through which these symbols may be seen. This plate is capable of limited angular: movement, from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3, under the influence of the spring 13, at- 15 tached at one end to a lug 1 1 on the inside I of the casing-4 and at its other end to a lug 15 projecting from the plate 12. Projecting from the edge of the plate 12 is another lug 16, which passes through a slot in the hub casing 17 projecting from the main casing 4 as shown in Fig. 2. The lug 16 projects into the path of a lug 18 on the edge of the slotted member 10. In the normal position of the calling device, the lug 18 is in engagement with the lug 16 and holds the latter at one end of the slot in the hub casing 17; but when the calling device is in an off-normal position, the lug 18 moves away from the lug 16 and permits the latter to move to the other end of said slot under the influence of the spring 13 upon the plate 12. A stop 20 is shown se:

cured to the casing 4: and arranged to engage the finger of the person operating the device and to thus limit the movements. of the manually operable member 7, in the wellknown manner. I

The calling device above described is opv erated in theusual manner by placing a finger in engagement with the finger-hold through which is visible the numeral or character corresponding to the digit for which it is desired to-transmit impulses, and by rotating the manually operable member 7 in the direction of the arrow until the finger engages the stop 20. The finger is then removed and the manually operable member returns to normal position under the influence of the impulse sending mechanism inclosed within the casing 4. In the normal operation of the device, the pin 11 remains at the end of the slot in the member 10, as shown in Fig. 1. If, however, the subscriber does not remove his finger from engagement with the finger-hold after his finger has engaged the stop 20, and if he tries to force the manually operable member in its return movement, the force so exerted will be expended in placing the spring 21 under increased tension by the member 10. The spring 21 is so designed that the turning force which it is thus made to exert upon the member 10 and the-shaft 5 does not injuriously affect the rate atwhich the mechanism returns to its normal position. Of course, while the manually operable member 7' is thus forced backward from its normal position with reference to the slotted member 10, the latter continues to return to its normal position. In other words, forcing back the manually operable member does not artificially accelerate the return movement of the impulse sending mechanism of the calling device. Of course the slot in the member 10 may be of any desired length. In practice, a slot of the length shown will be usually snflicient to prevent backward forcing.

As hereinbefore explained, theplate 12 is maintained in its normal position shown in Fig. 1 by engagement of the lug 18 with the lug 16; and said plate moves into the position shown in Fig. 3 when the lug 18 moves away from the lug 16, which occurs 8r when the device is moved to an off-normal position. By this movement of the plate 12 and the member carrying the symbols with reference to one another, the symbols are obscured during the movement of the manually operable member 7 back to its normal position, but are re-displayed immediately when the normal position is reached. By so hidingthe .symbols during the return movement of the device, the likelihood of the subscribers prematurely inserting his finger in a finger-hold is reduced to a minimum, since it would be extremely unnatural to insert the finger in a finger-hold in connection with which no symbol is visible. The complete return of the manually operable member to its normal position is thus assured. Moreover, by thus requiring a subscriber to watch for the re-display of the symbols at each actuation of the calling device, a certain time interval is insured between successive actuations 'of the device, which is desirable in connection with certain kinds of automatic telephone systems.

What is claimed is:

1. In a calling device, a manually operable member, an operating shaft driven thereby, a connection between said member and said shaft permitting lost motion' of the former with reference to the latter in the. direction opposite to the direction of operating movement of the former, a member carrying symbols corresponding to said finger-holds, and means for hiding said symbols while said manually operable Inember is in an off-normal position.

2. In a calling device, a manually opera-ble member having finger-holds an operating shaft driven thereby, a connection between said member and said shaft permitting lost motion of the former with refer ence to the latter in the direction opposite to the direction of operating movement of the former, a member carrying symbols corresponding to the finger-holds, a member 'having openings throughwhich the symbols are normally Visible, and means for "fiifivln g' said last-named member and said symbolcarrying member with reference to'one another so as to hide said symbolsflwhile said manually operable member is in an oilnormal position.

3. In a calling device, amanually operable member having finger-holds, an operating shaft driven thereby, a slotted member carried'by'said operating shaf-t a pin carried by said manually operable member and extending into the slotof said slotted member, a spring whichtends to maintain said pin at the forward end of said slot, a member carrying symbols corresponding to the finger-h0lds, a movable member having openings through which the symbols are normally visible, a spring tending to move said last-named memberinto the position in which it hides said symbols, and lugs on said movable member and said slotted member which cooperate when said manually operable member is in its normal position and maintain said movable member in the position in which said symbols are visible,

4. In a calling device, a manujally operlit vable member, an operating shaft driven 4 thereby, and a lost motion connection bereference to the latter in the direction op-' posite to the direction of operating movement of the former.

5. In a calling device, a manually operable member having finger-holds, a member carrying symbols corresponding to said finger-holds, and means for hiding the symbols while said manually operable member is in an oil-normal position.

6. In a calling device, a manually operable member having finger-holds, a plate carrying symbols corresponding to said finger-holds, a plate having openings through which the symbols are normally Visible, and means for moving said plates with reference to' one another so as'to hide the symbols when :said manually rotatable member is in an off-normal position.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 11th day of* ()ctober,,A. l). 1916.

HENRY P. CLAUSEN.

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